Morse Code Translator: Text, Sound and Light

What is Morse code and how does it work?

Morse code sends text using just two signals, short and long: the dot and the dash (often called dit and dah). Every letter and number has its own sequence: E is a single dot, T a single dash, A a dot followed by a dash. You can send it as sound, light, by radio, over a wire or even by tapping on a table. The timing is fixed: a dash lasts three dots, the gap inside a letter lasts one dot, the gap between letters three dots and the gap between words seven dots. The tool follows this timing and uses the word PARIS as the standard for measuring speed in words per minute. Today's International Morse code grew out of Samuel Morse's original code, simplified and standardized in the 19th century, and it is still used by amateur radio operators (hams), in aviation to identify some navigation beacons, and in distress signals.

How to translate text to Morse code, and Morse code to English

Type your message in the Text box: each letter is replaced by its dots and dashes, separated by a space, and words are separated by a slash. To go the other way, paste or type Morse in the Morse code box: separate letters with a space and words with a slash, a line break or two spaces. The tool also accepts middle dots (·) and dashes (–, —) copied from a website or document. A group of signals that doesn't match any character becomes a question mark, and a message lets you know. The letter é has its own code in the international standard (..-..); other common accented letters use widely used but unofficial codes (for example à is .--.- and ñ is --.--), and accents with no code at all (ê, ô, î…) are reduced to their base letter.

How do you write SOS in Morse code?

SOS is ... --- ...: three dots, three dashes, three dots. It doesn't stand for “Save Our Souls” or any other phrase; it was chosen in 1906 as the international distress signal because it is easy to recognize and easy to send. In a real call, the three letters are sent as one continuous signal, with no gaps between them; the tool translates the word SOS letter by letter with normal gaps. To hear the continuous signal, type ...---... in the Morse box: the tool accepts it, plays it without gaps and recognizes it as SOS. With the full-screen light you get a flashing signal you can read from a distance, meant only for practice or for fun.

How to learn Morse code: method and practice key

The best way to learn the Morse alphabet is by ear, not on paper: remember “di-dah” rather than “dot-dash”. Tap the letters in the chart to hear them, starting with E, T, I, A, N and M, which are the shortest, then add a few at a time. Then move on to the key: press the big button or your space bar with a steady rhythm, a dot being about three times shorter than a dash. Start slowly, around 5 to 10 words per minute, and speed up once the decoder shows what you meant to send. The key tells a dot from a dash based on the speed you choose and splits letters according to how long you pause: if your letters run together, leave a little more time between them.